Nairobi, Kenya – A 25-year-old woman is facing legal trouble for failing to report that her boyfriend, who was shot dead by police in her apartment in the Githurai estate, was an armed robber. Ann Njenga is now being charged with associating with a person she knew to be in unlawful possession of a firearm. The prosecution is treating her as an associate of the deceased suspect, who is accused of committing a series of robberies and murders in the Kasarani Sub-county, because she failed to inform the police.

Samuel Karui, also known as Sammy Steppa, was killed in a shoot-out with undercover police officers outside Ameya Gate Apartments in Githurai 44 on October 29. He had fired at the officers while trying to escape from Njenga’s house after being cornered. Karui was found with a revolver, which is believed to have been used in his alleged criminal activities.

According to police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Njenga was aware of Karui’s involvement in a series of violent robberies and murders, which he is believed to have committed with others who are still at large.

The officers received information that Karui was hiding at Njenga’s house and went there to apprehend him. They encountered Njenga on the stairs as she was leaving the house and inquired about Karui’s whereabouts. She confirmed that he was sleeping at her place. Instead of staying quiet as instructed by the officer, she alerted Karui about the presence of the police, prompting him to open fire on the officers. Karui was subsequently shot and killed.

No police officers were injured during the incident, but several people in a nearby illegal liquor den were hit by stray bullets and had to be taken to Kenyatta National Hospital. After the shooting, the police arrested Njenga and recovered various items, including a bullet head, a spent cartridge, and two mobile phones believed to belong to Karui.

During the court hearing at Makadara Law Courts, Njenga denied the charges. Her lawyer, Norah Kaggia, pleaded for lenient bail conditions, stating that Njenga is a mother of a child under the age of two and has a fixed abode in Githurai, thus posing no flight risk. The suspect was granted bail in the amount of Sh100,000 or an alternative cash bail of Sh70,000.

In a separate incident earlier this month, a 19-year-old woman was also charged with failing to report that her boyfriend was involved in criminal activities. The teenager was found at her boyfriend’s house after he engaged detectives in a shoot-out, resulting in injuries to four officers before he was shot dead on October 8. The woman, Ivy Muthoni, is accused of associating with Dancun Ndinya, who was wanted for violent robberies in Nairobi, Kajiado, and Embu counties. She is currently in custody awaiting a ruling on her bail and bond application.

The case against Njenga is scheduled for mention on January 29, with the hearing set to begin on April 29 next year. These recent cases highlight the legal consequences faced by individuals who fail to report criminal activities of their associates.